It was a homecoming of sorts for Obi Toppin on draft night, as the Ossing, New York native was selected eighth overall by the New York Knicks. The former Dayton standout is one of the most highly-touted forwards in this draft class, and when asked to describe his own game, Toppin likened himself to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis.
To be fair, Toppin didn't exactly claim to be Anthony Davis 2.0, but rather, he expressed how he tries to replicate the Lakers big man's game:
Obi Toppin says he likes to "mimic'' Anthony Davis when asked about a comparison.
— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) November 19, 2020
The Knicks appear to have scored quite a win with Toppin, with the consensus National Player of the Year falling to their laps at the eighth spot in the draft. At 22, Toppin is at a prime age to succeed in the league. While he may not be the best prospect out there, Toppin is expected to have a smooth transition into the NBA.
Last year with Dayton, Toppin put up averages of 20.0 points on a very efficient 63.3 percent shooting, to go along with 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks, while also draining 1.0 triples per contest on an impressive 39.0-percent clip.
To be fair, Toppin has shown some shades of AD in his game, but at this point, the comparison would be disrespectful for the Lakers star. Toppin is a very promising prospect, but he still has a ways to go before being mentioned in the same breath as Anthony Davis. He does appear to possess the tools to succeed in the NBA, so maybe this comparison is something that will come forth somewhere down the road.